Ways to save money on keeping horses & other animals

It has been proven that taking care of pets has emotional and psychological benefits. While there are low-maintenance pets like birds and cats, there are also high-maintenance pets like certain dog and cat breeds and horses. Some people don’t have pets because have been turned off by the cost of keeping pets. While racing bets could earn you some money to take care of your pets, they are not always consistent. Don’t let the price tag prevent you from enjoying having pets around. There are ways to keep expenses down.

Buy feed / food in bulk

Buying in bulk gives us bigger savings than buying in small packs. You can shave off a few more dollars by buying generic brands instead of branded. The price difference can range from a few dollars to tens of dollars. But a word of warning though. You have to consider the quality of the food you buy. If you buy quality food for your pets you will give them better nutrition. Low quality food usually means lower nutrient content, which, in turn, does not really help you save money.

Organize group vet appointments

For horses, vets have to come to you to check on your horse/s. House calls are more pricey than trips to the vet’s clinic. To save on vet fees, ask other horse owners if they want to have their horses checked by a vet at the same time. Ditto for house pets. If you have several pets, it may be more practical to have the vet make house calls than to bring all your pets to the clinic. If you only have 1-2 pets, ask neighbors who have pets if they want to have their pets checked at the same time. Not only does this save the vet the trip, you save on additional fees and lets you split the bill with others.

Don’t skimp on vet appointments or vaccines

With our pets, one biggest misconception is that by skipping vaccinations and not going to the vet regularly help us save money. On the contrary, seeing the vet regularly and getting every crucial vaccination is critical to having a healthy pet. An unhealthy pet will mean medical expenses that may cost more than what you bargained for. As with people, early detection helps prevent an illness or disease from worsening or spreading. Emergency treatment and procedures can cost you hundreds – even thousands – of dollars. As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Go DIY

Just like doing repairs at home on your own, making and doing stuff for your pets can save you some cash. For dogs and cats, knowing how to groom them will save you tons of money. If you must bring them to a groomer, do basic stuff first like brushing out their fur, removing ticks and fleas, or even cutting their nails. Groomers charge extra for each of these things so you save tens of dollars by doing it yourself. Ditto for dog and cat toys. You can create squeaky toys for dogs or scratch posts for cats. You can also DIY their beds from old tires, wood crate, or shirts. Check out hacks from the internet.

Of course, there many others ways to save. Every penny you can save adds up at the end of the day.